I probably have a year to decide this but am wondering what scope I should put on my Cooper 52 Custom Classic in .270 winchester. I was thinking prehaps going Leupold as I've been pleased with my Vari-X III on my Sauer but the guy in the gun shop was saying that Leupold has gone to a lower grade of glass for all their line and that you can see a quality difference between a new and old Leupold. Can anyone confirm. He's a Zeiss dealer too. I have a Conquest on my .270 now 3.5-10x44 which has been great.

Want to put a really nice scope on this rifle, what would you put on it.

-Sean

Schmidt & Bender.

Kahles Multi Zero, watch the video by downloading the .wmv here.

Thanks for the suggestions. I did watch the Kahles video and that scope is very cool however I think I'm after something a little more classic with a clean look. It's a .270 so I pretty much feel I can shoot it accurately with a plex and know the drop involved.

I have heard good things about Schmidt & Bender. I am considering using an illuminated reticle such as this scope has:

Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 Zenith 30mm Riflescope

I've even thought about just going to a super high quality fixed 6 power. I've hunted with a fixed six on my .270 and did well but having up to 10 power for long shots is probably going to keep me looking at variables.

Has anyone used the S&B Zenith with flashdot or the new Swarovski Z6 scopes?

Swarovski 2-12x50 Z6 30mm Riflescope

thanks!

-Sean

I haven't heard anything about Leupold degrading their glass. If anyting, they have upgraded their glass from about 10 years ago. The VX II line is what the VXIII line was 10 years ago and the VXIII line is around 98% light transmission per their measurements. The last two VXIII's I have bought have been fantastic, I have a 3.5-10x50mm taht can see past last light at 10x and a 1.75-6x32mm that can see in the dark. I think you may have someone steering you to a more profitable product. Their is nothing wrong with Schmidt and Bender, Kahl, or Swaorvski I have owned Swarovski and Kahl's (but prefer the bang for the buck on Kahl), steer away from Zeiss.

Leupold's strongest suit is their value, customer service, and being made in the USA...

quote:

If anyting, they have upgraded their glass from about 10 years ago. The VX II line is what the VXIII line was 10 years ago

According to what? Anything other than the Leupold marketing hype? That's simply what they claimed when they renamed everything from VariX to VX and introduced the "Index Matched Lens System."

A couple of years ago, I had a VXIII on a 7mag that I compared to a friend's 13 year old VariX III and there was a marked difference in quality. My new scope was visibly the lesser of the two. I also compared it to my Zeiss Conquest, and they weren't even close. The Zeiss was clearer and brighter to my eye. Leupolds are certainly well built scopes with a great eye box and warranty service, but IMHO the glass takes a back seat to Nikon, Zeiss, Kahles, et cet.

At $400, I think the Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 is the best value out there for a scope now. But the others mentioned are also excellent scopes. The new Kahles KX are also very fine scopes for the money.

LWD

quote:

I was thinking prehaps going Leupold as I've been pleased with my Vari-X III on my Sauer but the guy in the gun shop was saying that Leupold has gone to a lower grade of glass for all their line and that you can see a quality difference between a new and old Leupold. -Sean

You can take the advice of "the guy in the gun shop" to the bank. They'll tell you where to deposit it.

A Leupold purchased today is of essentially the same quality as one that is 10, 20, or 30 years old -- despite Leupold advertising hype telling you it is better and gun shop owners (who are being pinched by Leupold's distribution practices) telling you it is worse.

No one besides Leupold makes an optical gunsight that combines the best set of necessary compromises to make the most useful hunting scope. There are other very good scopes on the market, but virtually all of them will have one or another feature (weight, size, eye relief, structural integrity) that makes them less desirable than a Leupold for a variety of hunting uses and conditions.

A Cooper in 270 Win cries out for a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8x36.

My opinion only.

Wayne E.

quote:

No one besides Leupold makes an optical gunsight that combines the best set of necessary compromises to make the most useful hunting scope. There are other very good scopes on the market, but virtually all of them will have one or another feature (weight, size, eye relief, structural integrity) that makes them less desirable than a Leupold for a variety of hunting uses and conditions.

Good post. There's a lot of merit to this.

LWD